by Brian Poulter

Over the past few summers I have tackled the National Road, the Oregon Trail, and I've motorcycled to the Arctic Circle (Yukon) and Alaska.
In the summer of 2013 I tackled Illinois Route 1. Starting on the south side of Chicago, Illinois 1 is the longest state highway, meandering south until it ends in Cave In Rock, Illinois, on the banks of the Ohio River. Once again, I operated with the assistance of Verizon Wireless, using an Apple iPhone and Nokia Lumia 928 to make all photographs.

Considering that it was Friday 13th, I should not have been surprised to find Donnell Jones straddling his uncooperative motorcycle at a south side Chicago BP station – just a few feet from where Illinois Route 1 starts at South Halsted Street near its intersection with I-57. What was bad luck for Jones turned out to be good luck for me.

Despite Jones’ bad day, I found him to be one of the most upbeat and kind people I had ever met. He was deeply spiritual, concerned about his fellow man, and more concerned about helping find good photos than his motorcycle’s electrical problem; I took an instant liking to him.

My good fortune continued a little further south when I stumbled on Shirley Rucker who was busy managing her small business, Halsted Resale. During the lull, I learned a lot about her extraordinary life. Growing up in Mississippi, she picked cotton in the share cropper south from the age of nine until she was in her teens. Fortunate enough to escape north, through hard work and sheer stubbornness she raised a family of 8– which included a NFL wide receiver and a dentist, as well as her family business.

A little further south in Crete Illinois, I double-backed after seeing a mannequin with a scary mask set in the middle of the front yard of a well kept bungalow. Unbeknownst to me, it was “Crete Garage Sale Days.” The

Friday the 13, 2013 on Illinois Route 1 was one of the best days of the project. was Sandy Moore’s way to get people to stop at her sale- it worked on me. When I asked if I could take her picture, Moore said no emphatically. When I told her I wanted to photograph her with her mannequin, she jumped at the chance.

Donnell Jones waits for a friend to rescue him after discovering an electrical/battery problem with his motorcycle just a few feet from the beginning of Illinois Route 1 in Chicago. It was Friday the 13th. (IPhone 5 photo)

Sandy Moore shows off a few of the treasures available at her thrift sale at her Crete, Illinois Home on Illinois Route 1. ‘The weekend long “Crete Garage Sale Days” makes Crete a temporary mecca for bargain hunters throughout the area.

Chicago’s history of gangsters, colorful crime bosses and more recently, governmental corruption are well known. But, traveling a mere 325 miles down Illinois State Route 1, there is a small town at the southern tip of the state that was once arguably the most crime ridden and dangerous place in the state. Cave In Rock, Illinois with it’s current day population of 346 people was a hot bed of river pirates and desperadoes. A large 55-foot cave, about the size of a small barn was created during the 1812 New Madrid Earthquake. On the banks of the Ohio River, this huge cave gave pirates a natural base from which to plunder river traffic. From about 1790’s to the 1870’s the area was notorious for piracy, counter-fitting, horse thieving and all forms of crime. Crime family and syndicates fought among themselves for control of the area, often using assassination as a tool of advancement and control.

On a Tuesday morning, while visiting Cave In Rock, I found no robbers, no rapists or no murders… not even a horse thief. I did however, find people hard at work and hard at play. That’s not to say I didn’t find a few charters however….

A visitor greets the afternoon light in an Ohio riverside cave, at the Cave In Rock State Park, in Cave In Rock, Ill. The huge cave was home to a number of river pirates from about 1790-1830. (photo made with a Nokia Lumia 928)

With the goal of recycling 6,000 bricks from the building they had demolished days earlier, Josh Fann, Zackery Dunstan and Lucas Rienhardt sort through the debris of an old bank in Cave In Rock, Ill., at the end of Illinois Route 1. (photo made with a Nokia Lumia 928)

As cars and trucks are loaded, Loni Jo Captain Jim Littrell watches from the wheelhouse of the ferry he pilots daily across the Ohio River. Littrell has worked on the ferry since he was 19. (photo made with an iPhone 5)

Chris Berton sneaks a bite to eat from the deck of the Loni Jo, a ferry connecting Illinois Route 1 and Kentucky State Highway 91 at the Ohio River near Cave In Rock, Ill. Because of the constant traffic, Berton rarely gets to take an official coffee or lunch break from his job directing cars and trucks onto the ferry deck during his 8-hour shift. (photo made with an iPhone 5)

Tom Brammeld takes a photo while crossing the Ohio River at the end of Illinois Route 1. Along with Micheal Jack, the two Brits are crossing the United States by bicycle, raising money for charity as they pedal. (photo made with an iPhone 5)

Dans players rub fresh baseballs with mud prior to the start of play July 24, 2013 against the Quincy Gems at Danville Stadium.
(iPhone 5 photo)Getting ready, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

Stepping foot into Danville Stadium is like walking into the haunted house. But, rather than projecting a scary vibe, the stadium is an inviting place. The park invites young and old with the promise of great baseball, great seats, warm sunshine, and a variety of great taste and smells – peanuts, hot dogs, bratwurst, steak sandwiches.

The park also offers a chance to talk with super fans like 75-year-old Wendy West and her daughter, Cathy Miller, who arrive hours before the games start. Or you can talk baseball with the batboy of the 1946 Danville Dodgers, John Dowling. Turn to the right, and there is the city mayor. Get there really early, you can talk to the coach, maybe even play catch with a future big-leaguer.

The Danville Dans are a part of the Prospect League. The players are from college teams, meaning they are here to develop skills and to get noticed by scouts. They are not allowed to be paid, according to NCAA rules. Players stay with local family who sponsor them. But don’t be fooled, good baseball is played here. Last year, 12 Dans were drafted into the majors. Who knows who they’ll nab this year?

The stadium has hosted dozens of major leagues players through the decades, including hall of famers such Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Satchel Paige.

Danville Stadium is what it is. A great place to witness baseball’s past, present and future.

Danville Stadium as seen at sunset during a night game between the Dans and the Quicy Gems on July 24, 2013. The stadium, which first opened May 26, 1946, has hosted several minor league affiliates and is currently the home of the Danville Dans, a collegiate summer baseball league team.
(iphone 5 photo)

A “Todd Frazier” bobblehead doll sits as the good luck charm of the Danville Dans baseball team. The bobblehead was picked up by third baseman Chad Klein during a Cincinnati Reds game. The night it was brought to Danville Stadium, the Dans won with a dramatic walk-off home run. The bobblehead has been a fixture on top of the dugout ever since.
(iPhone 5 photo)